Manfred Altman was born into an orthodox Jewish family in 1911 in Salzburg, Austria-Hungary (now Austria) and studied law and philosophy in Germany, and, briefly, art in Holland. Fleeing Nazi persecution, he left for England in 1939, settling in England where he worked as a businessman and was a prominent member of Ben Uri's governing council, but was unable to save the majority of his family who perished in Auschwitz. He painted throughout his life but was primarily interested in the law and Jewish studies, helping to develop the renowned Institute of Jewish Studies in London, initially founded in 1954 in Manchester by his brother, Alexander.
Businessman, intellectual and artist, Manfred Altman was born into an orthodox Jewish family 30 October 1911 in Salzburg, Austria-Hungary (now Austria). In 1920 his father, Adolf Altman, was appointed Chief Rabbi of Trier and the family moved to Germany. At the age of 15, Altman helped found the Jewish Scouts Movement in Germany. In 1928, he began studying law and philosophy in Frankfurt, continuing his studies in Berlin and Marburg. He was scheduled to sit his exams in 1933 when the Nazis came to power; Jewish students were prevented from completing their studies and exams were held on Shabbat (sabbath, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), the day of rest in Judaism. Altman, who throughout his life refused to compromise his religious principles, convinced the bureaucrats in Kassel that he and his brother Erwin should be allowed to sit their exams without violating the sabbath. He also briefly studied art in Holland, where he settled in 1934 as a lawyer for a Dutch-Jewish company.
In 1939, again fleeing Nazi persecution, Altman immigrated to England and was briefly interned as an ‘enemy alien’ on the Isle of Man, following the government's policy of mass internment in summer 1941. While interned, he persuaded the British authorities to allow orthodox Jewish internees to observe religious festivals, which included erecting a communal sukkah (decorated booth) in camp. After his release he worked for the charitable Jewish National Fund and helped found the moshav (communal farm) Kfar Kisch in Palestine with Lord Hebert Samuel. He subsequently became a businessman and took British citizenship in 1947. Though Manfred and his brother Alexander settled in England, the majority of his family perished in Auschwitz. After 1948 he began pioneering imports of textiles from the newly-founded State of Israel to the United Kingdom, working with large companies such as Marks and Spencer. He served on Ben Uri's governing council from 1958 to 1998 and on the Art Committee from 1967 to 1993, showing his own work with Ben Uri on several occasions during the 1980s. Altman’s brother, Alexander, founded the Institute of Jewish Studies in Manchester in 1954, which later transferred to University College London in 1959. Manfred became Honorary Secretary of the Institute and, in 1988, took over the chairmanship from Lord Mishcon. Altman was instrumental in creating four new professorships and lectureships within the Institute and in 1992 he was appointed as an Honorary Fellow of University College London. Under his guidance, the Jewish department at UCL became one of the largest of its kind in Europe, incorporating studies in history, literature and Yiddish. (In 2014 students from the department, under the supervision of Dr Helen Beer, were responsible for the translation of much of Ben Uri's early Yiddish archive material).
Manfred Altman died in London, England on 20 July 1999. He never married and was survived by two nieces and a nephew. He was remembered for his commitment and passion for Jewish culture and the intellectual endeavours of his fellow Jews. The Times’ obituary commented: ‘[…] his German education marked Altman for life. It gave him a huge respect for culture, both Jewish and European, a lifelong mission to build bridges between the two, and a Germanic thoroughness allied to an equally Germanic impatience’ (The Times, 13 August 1999, p. 27). His work is held in the Ben Uri Collection; his family archives are held by University College London and his oral history testimony is held by the USC Shoah Foundation in the USA.
Manfred Altman in the Ben Uri collection
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Manfred Altman]
Publications related to [Manfred Altman] in the Ben Uri Library